This invention relates in general to wagons, and more particularly, to an improved arrangement for attaching a handle to a wagon constructed of plastic.
Wagons are used by adults to move and carry things and are also used by children as toys. A wagon typically includes a body that is supported upon rolling wheels. A typical wagon also includes a handle for pulling and steering the wagon. The handle has two ends, the first of which features a hand grip. The second end of the handle connects to the wagon in a hinged fashion.
The body of a wagon typically includes a platform surrounded by front, rear and side walls. Wagon bodies have traditionally been constructed of metal or wood or combinations thereof. Recently, however, wagon bodies have been constructed from molded plastic, such as high density polyethylene or some similar material. Such wagons are becoming increasingly popular because of their light weight, durability, corrosion resistance, and lower manufacturing cost.
Often, with traditional steel and/or wood bodied wagons, the front wheels and handle of the wagon are attached to a bolster that is pivotally connected to the bottom of the wagon body. With such an arrangement, the hinged handle may be pivoted between a position whereby the wagon may be pulled and steered and a position whereby a child riding in the wagon may steer the wagon, such as when being pushed or coasting down a hill. Such a configuration has been recently applied to plastic-bodied wagons. Further weight, strength and cost benefits occur if the handle and bolster are also constructed from plastic.
A number of plastic-body wagon designs do not feature bolsters. An example of such a wagon is presented in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 5,669,617 to Pasin et al. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the wagon of the Pasin et al. ""617 patent features a plastic body, indicated in general at 10, with prongs 12a, 12b and 12c formed upon the exterior surface of its front 13. The handle 14 of the wagon is also constructed of plastic and features a pair of fingers 16a and 16b that are positioned between the prongs 12a, 12b and 12c of the wagon body in the manner illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. A metal rod or hinge pin 18 secures the handle fingers to the wagon body prongs in a hinged fashion. The front wheels of the wagon, indicated at 22a and 22b, are pivotally connected to the wagon body 10 by swiveling front axles 24a and 24b. 
While plastic wagons, such as the ones described above, offer advantages over metal or wood wagons, there is an issue of wear that occurs at the connection between the plastic handle and plastic wagon body or bolster. As described with reference to the wagon of the Pasin et al. ""617 patent, the plastic handle of a wagon is typically secured to the plastic wagon body or bolster with a metal pin. More specifically, the wagon handle is essentially hollow with apertures formed through its walls. The plastic body or bolster is also essentially hollow and has apertures formed through its walls that align with the apertures formed in the handle when the two components are assembled in the manner shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The metal pin passes through the aligned apertures of the handle and body or bolster so that the handle is secured to the body or bolster in a hinged fashion.
When the wagon is pulled, however, the bolster or body and handle are urged apart so that the metal pin is forced against the edges of the apertures of each. As a result, the portions of the thin plastic walls surrounding the apertures are strained. The reoccurring forces and resulting strain may cause the apertures to eventually stretch so as to become elongated. This results in significant and undesirable play in the hinged connection between the handle and body or bolster. In some instances, the stretching may be so severe that the plastic surrounding any of the apertures actually tears.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved arrangement for connecting a handle to a plastic-bodied wagon that minimizes or eliminates stretching of the plastic surrounding the handle and/or body or bolster connecting apertures.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved arrangement for connecting a handle to a plastic-bodied wagon that eliminates tearing of the plastic surrounding handle and/or body or bolster connecting apertures.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a wagon with a durable and secure handle attachment arrangement.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a wagon with a handle attachment arrangement that offers ease of assembly.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a wagon with a handle attachment arrangement that is economical to manufacture.
Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the remaining portion of this specification.
The present invention is directed to a wagon having a plastic body supported upon a pair of front wheels and a pair of rear wheels. A plastic bolster is pivotally attached to the bottom of the wagon and receives the axle upon which the front wheels are mounted. The bolster is equipped with a number of spaced prongs, each having an aperture formed therein with some of the apertures surrounded by channels including arcuate surfaces.
The wagon also features a plastic handle having a number of spaced fingers with apertures formed therein. Bosses surround some of the apertures and feature circumferential walls. The fingers of the handle are inserted between the prongs of the bolster so that the finger bosses enter the prong channels until the circumferential walls of the bosses engage the arcuate surfaces of the channels. With the handle and bolster thus configured, the apertures of the handle fingers align with the apertures of the bolster prongs. A hinge pin is inserted through the aligned apertures so that a hinge is formed permitting the handle to rotate with respect to the bolster. When the handle of the wagon is pulled, forces are distributed over the interface between the boss circumferential walls and the channel arcuate surfaces. As a result, the stress exerted by the hinge pin on the plastic surrounding the apertures is significantly reduced. The arrangement of the present invention may also be implemented with a wagon that has the handle directly attached to the front of the wagon body.
The following detailed description of embodiments of the invention, taken in conjunction with the appended claims and accompanying drawings, provide a more complete understanding of the nature and scope of the invention.